Peloton Exercise Bike Review

Rating: 90.25%

Quick Summary

The Peloton exercise bike has carved out an interesting niche, leveraging the collective craze surrounding the cultish cycling classes (SoulCycle & others) that has been sweeping the nation, and mating that enthusiasm with the ever growing demand for connectivity and large display screens on basically everything in our daily lives. With one of the highest price points on the market, this bike is made to impress the athletic consumer. Its design is sleek and minimal, and though it doesn’t match its competition (the NordicTrack S22i in particular) in some aspects regarding features it will still win over some shoppers with its 24/7 access to live training classes.

The bike is equipped with a 21.5” HD screen, a manually controlled magnetic flywheel, and 2 points of adjustment for the seat—height, and distance from handlebars. The handlebar shaft also features a vertical adjustment to help achieve proper riding posture. It has 2 10-watt speakers that go loud enough to fill a room, but also includes a headphone jack to avoid disturbing those around you. On the topic of sound output, there will be a lot to listen in on with the many live and on-demand classes coming from Peloton at any given time, which remains this exercise bike’s biggest selling feature. It’s worth noting, as you won’t necessarily catch it right away on the Peloton website, these classes don’t come free. On top of it’s purchase price, a $39/month membership fee is charged for access to its extensive training programming. If you’re after results and have the commitment to back it up, the additional cost is likely going to be worth considering (though some competition offers a similar service with one year subscription included).

Specifications

FitRated

Model

Peloton Exercise Bike

Rating

Our custom rating considers all of the bike's features, specs, warranties, and 100's of user & expert reviews, to save you time!

Rating: 90.25%

Our Rating

Rating: 90.25/100. I gave this bike a high rating in part because of its ability to offer a respectable ride with a strong frame, but the biggest contributor to its score is the experience with the instructors leading its virtual workouts. Peloton uses real instructors from its NYC location who teach regular classes (you can even see people in the class), and they are at the top of their game. Though this is not a bike for riders on a budget, the price reflects the quality of the service that comes with the bike, as well as the bike itself. If you’re not going to spend the additional $39/month on the membership then look elsewhere, but once subscribed you’ll have access to thousands of different workouts such as HIIT rides, themed rides, climbs/sprints, and workouts that incorporate dumbbells (also not included with the bike). Riders will love the different options, and the music is fantastic!

Clearly geared towards to the many tech-obsessed fitness enthusiasts, the Peloton is all about connectivity. Through its 21.5” HD touchscreen, you can either be transported to the Peloton gym in New York City for a live workout, or follow scenic trails through simulated outdoor training. During live training sessions, a video camera lets you chat with the instructor and classmates as you ride—a leaderboard shows the top participants’ scores as added motivation. As an added bonus, instruction for yoga, general stretching, strength training and other exercises is also included with Peloton virtual membership. One thing I would have liked to see on this bike is remote control for resistance. Similar competition from NordicTrack and Proform allow the bike’s resistance to be controlled by instructors of their live iFit training programs, whereas Peloton riders will have to make resistance adjustments on their own as they participate in classes.

Engineering for the Peloton bike is respectable, and at least up to snuff considering its north of $2k price point. The machine came to market as a Kickstarter project, and it launched with support from “people like you” who care about home fitness. It’s sturdy, constructed of high strength steel and other higher grade materials, and just like a commercial exercise bike, the Peloton home exercise bike is adjustable for just about any body size. The saddle adjusts to fit riders from 4’11” to 6’5” tall, and supports riders with a weight limit of 305 pounds.

New Peloton bikes cost $2,245 including delivery with assembly, though don’t forget to factor in the $39/month fees when comparing it to other models. This bike’s top competitor is the NordicTrack Commercial S22i Studio, that boasts similar features but has a bit of an upper hand with digitally controlled resistance and adjustable incline (not to mention a lower price). With the Peloton bike you’re still getting an elite spin bike, but also investing in the live instruction and social features of a virtual studio membership.

Purchase includes a 12-month warranty on parts, electronics and labor. Extended warranties are available to cover the purchase up to 39 months.

Here are lists of pros and cons we’ve noted in a preliminary Peloton bike review.

Peloton Workout Programs

The Peloton is a popular model in the cycling community as many riders are looking to find a bike that provides the experience of being in a spin class while in their own home. The Peloton is the closest riders will get to an in-studio experience without physically leaving their homes. Peloton has upped the ante in their quality of fitness app by using real instructors whose classes are filmed in NYC. Many apps on the market can come across cheesy, overly rehearsed and inauthentic, where the Peloton gives you a real, motivating and sweat dripping experience. The music has a ton of variety from throwbacks to modern age hip hop which left me singing along even when the workout was finished.

Alex Toussaint is one of the top instructors for Peloton and was my personal favourite on the app. He speaks to his class as if you are in it rather than filming for an app. The dialogue is often funny, inspiring and most importantly, real. He is motivating and informative telling you exactly how much resistance to add and at what cadence you should be riding. The instructors inform you of how to use the numbers at the bottom of the screen: cadence, output and resistance and always tell you where you should be or striving to be in different parts of the ride. Other bikes on the market tell you to add resistance but this is the first I have seen where you can see the amount of resistance you are adding for a more accurate workout.

Peloton organizes studio bike classes into these eight categories:

Beginner – The easiest Peloton rides, all low-impact

Low Impact – Low impact rides for all experience levels

Rhythm – Spin bike workouts set to a beat

Theme – Bike classes set to musical themes such as classic country or 1980s rock

Live DJ – Peloton classes with live DJs for workouts especially focused on fun

Heart Rate Zone – Workouts focused on any of five effort levels as measured by heart rate

Peloton videos are also designed to help you focus on your arms, core and total-body stretching.

Following each Peloton workout you get the chance to review each ride and rate the music, and the company uses feedback to continually improve and adapt to members’ preferences. You can also use the bike’s social media feature to recommend a specific Peloton workout to friends.

Peloton bikes are sold with one-year virtual studio subscriptions, which cost $39 per month. Starting in autumn 2018, a bike membership will give access to Peloton treadmill classes as well.

Peloton Exercise Bike Features

The flywheel and seat are important features to look at when purchasing an indoor exercise bike as you are going to be spending a lot of time on the bike and should be comfortable riding it. The magnetic flywheel is quiet and smooth as butter. You could be riding right beside someone in your home and they would barely hear the wheel moving. The push-stop option with the resistance knob is also extremely smooth with no friction to bring the wheel to a complete stop. The seat on this bike is narrow like a road bike seat but cushioned for comfort when riding in the saddle. If you are looking for a smaller, professional seat but without the discomfort of actual road bike seats, the Peloton will be perfect for you.

With any great piece of equipment there are always some downfalls that users will find. One of the main things that would be considered a negative about the Peloton is the screen’s inability to swivel. Some of the workouts require off the bike movements so not being able to turn the screen like its competitors definitely makes it more difficult to use. Another feature that is less desirable is the fact that the screen is so close to the user’s face when riding, especially as some of the rides require out of the saddle work that would bring you within centimeters of the screen. Something to consider when buying a stationary bike with a screen that doesn’t move is that if there are times when you don’t want to ride to a video but perhaps your own TV, the screen will be distractedly in your way.

The Peloton home exercise bike weighs a sturdy 135 pounds. Its charcoal grey frame is 125 pounds of carbon steel, and the console with wide screen adds another 10 pounds.

For showing live and on-demand spin classes, the Peloton bike has a 21.5” screen. The screen shows HD video and uses touch technology. High fidelity stereo speakers are included.

A 5 megapixel camera faces the rider for video chat. You can use the webcam to interact with classmates and instructors.

The Peloton bike frame is powder coated to be sweat-resistant.

The bike provides nearly silent resistance with a high end magnetic belt drive.

Peloton’s saddle is molded and can be micro-adjusted vertically and horizontally with levers. Peloton handlebars are adjustable too.

Warranty & Guarantee

The Peloton bike warranty provides 12 months of coverage for the bike’s parts, electronics and labor. Two extended warranties are available, with the longest bringing coverage to 39 months for $230.

For a Peloton warranty to remain valid, the bike needs to be kept where it was originally assembled.

Conclusion

Overall, the Peloton lives up to its high status and price point, but it is also very much geared towards the rider looking for training support rather than someone that wants to build or already has their own training regiment sorted. This bike is also a great option for users with busy lifestyles that do not allow them to go to conventional spin classes. I definitely wouldn’t recommend the Peloton for someone who is new to exercise bikes or isn’t already enthusiastic about spin classes overall. The app also requires a monthly membership fee that would be what most people pay for a gym membership, so it is definitely a model for avid riders and fitness fanatics rather than someone who’s starting to work on new fitness goals. Even if the added training is of interest, I’d suggest also looking at the Peloton’s closest competition, the NordicTrack S22i. Between a lower price, additional features, and pricing inclusive of training videos, it’s a compelling alternative for those who haven’t already succumb to the Peloton siren song. As a suggestion to those considering the Peloton, try downloading the Peloton app and spend some time exploring it before investing in the bike itself. While you will truly only have a real spin class experience by physically going to a studio, the Peloton is about as close as you’ll get from a home exercise bike for now.

5 Comments

Have had two bikes since first week of January 2019...neither one lasted more than 7 days due to bike pedal threads being stripped. Second time almost injured my wife as she was pedaling (pedal literally came out still attached to her shoe). It’s obvious they dont care too much about the bike or the bike members anymore now that the Tread is in play. Their support even stated that they are so backed up due to all the focus being on the Tread. Was a new member...now no longer a member because of the fear of injury (from lack of product or install quality).

Hi Jason,
Sorry to hear about your experience. Did you return the bikes? Also, we're starting to hear stories like yours and we are very curious on whether you have tried the NordicTrack s22i. We reviewed this bike side by side with the Peloton and realized it has many great qualities that the peloton doesn't. See our video on our review, https://www.fitrated.com/exercise-bikes/nordictrack-commercial-s22i-studio-cycle-review/!

Feeling overwhelmed looking for the best fitness gear? Our goal with this website is to make it easier for you.

We compile crucial info about popular fitness equipment, then assign a single rating out of 5 stars with our exclusive algorithm (based on 100s of customer & expert reviews), all to save you time and money meeting your fitness goals.